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The Queen
(2006)

Director: Stephen Frears
Writer: Peter Morgan
Cast: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell
Genre: Biography, Drama, History


About: An up-close and personal look at Queen Elizabeth II reaction to the untimely death of Princess Diana and the events that followed. As a nation and the world mourns the loss of Diana, the Royal family's initial reaction of saying nothing causes a backlash at the monarchy. These events are taking place as the UK's most personable Prime Minister ,Tony Blair is being sworn into office.



Review: Helen Mirren won a Best Actress Oscar for her unflinching portrayal of the Queen. The Queen was also nominated for four other Oscars including Best Directing and Best Picture.

2006's The Queen gives us one of the frankest looks at the Royal family. What we see is not always pretty. To the films credit it dodges no bullets and lays the events of August 1997 squarely on the line. If ever a film has been deserving of being called a Biography, this is it.

I've watched quite a number of documentaries and shows about the Royals and instantly I accepted Helen Mirren as the Queen. She is the Queen...With her spot on performance, complete with a certain reserved stiffness that the real Elizabeth shows in her public side, she makes the Queen real, that then makes the movie real.



The actor who played Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) nailed the Cheshire grinning PM of Britain so much that four years latter he reprises his role as Tony Blair in The Special Relationship (2010).



I remember the events of 1997 when the world was shocked to learn of the lose of Princess Diana. I remember the outpouring of love for her with flowers piled high around Buckingham Palace. I remember the controversy over the apparent lack of concern by the Royals in the days before Diana's funeral was held. I remember the intense media coverage and the final outcome too. The Queen tells this story that I know while filling in the behind the scenes reasons why the Queen took the actions that she did.